Catch



Feb. 29, 1944. E. vEsoFusHERs CATCH Filed Aug. 2e, 1940 4 jzvezzoz Earl 230740729743 Patented Feb. 29, 1944 UNITEDn STATES PATENT AOFFICE CATCH Earl Borchers, Rockford, Ill., assignor to American Cabinet Hardware Corporation, Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Illinois l Application August 26.1940, Serial No. 354,210

3 Claims.

'Ihe invention relates generally to catches and more particularly to a spring catch for use on sheet metal cabinets. y

'The general object of the invention is to provide a novel catch for use with sheet metal cab-inets, which is of inexpensive construction and which may be assembled on the cabinet without the use of tools. f

It is also a general object to provide a novel catch in which the strike retaining portion and the portion by Which the catch is secured to the cabinet are of one piece.

Another object is to provide a catch made of spring metal, in which the portion for holding the strike and the portion for attaching the strike to the cabinet are integral, the latter portion being retained in assembled relation with the cabinet by its resiliency.

A further object is to provide a catch retained in assembled relation with the cabinet by the resiliency of the attaching portion of the catch, in which the resilient force tending to hold the catch in place is increased by the engagement of the strike with the catch.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, partially in section and on a reduced scale, of a cabinet provided with a catch embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the catch and a fragment of the cabinet Wall to which the catch is` to be attached, with the two parts in disassembled relation.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but showing another form of catch.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken o-n the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the catch shown in Fig. 5, and a fragment of the cabinet wall to which the catch is adapted to be attached, with the two parts in disassembled relation.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and` alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawing and will herein describe in detail, the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specic form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

A catch embodying the features of the invention as illustrated by the two forms herein shown is adapted for use withL sheet metal cabinets,v particularly those known in the trade as utility cabinets. Such cabinets are usually sold for use` inthe home as storage cabinets. Because of this, there is a constant pressure on the manufacturer of such cabinets to produce them at a minimum cost consistent withv good material and workmanship.

Such a cabinet is usually rectangular in ho-rizontal cross section. The door to the cabinet is placed at the front and occupies the major portion thereof. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, a door I0 is provided which is hinged on one vertical edge and constitutes the major portion of the front of the cabinet except for relatively narrow Xed strips II extending up the two side edges of the front. Suchstrips II usually constitute flanges bent from the sidewalls of the cabinet. Across the lower end of the front is a strip I2 secured at its ends to the vertical strips II and offset in- Wardly as at I3, so that the door II) in its closed position may be ilush with the strips i I. A catch of the character herein disclosed is adapted to be attached to the strip I2 in proper position to receive and retain a strike I4 secured to the door adjacent the ope-ning edge thereof.

A catch embodying the features of the invention is of a one-piece construction and isfmade of spring metal, the resiliency of which not only functions to releasably hold the strike, but also to retain the catch in its assembled relation with the cabinet. The cabinet is provided with a suitable punching to receive the catch and to permit the strike to pass through the Wall into engagement with the catch. The catch is also so constructed that the spreading of the catch while the strike is moving into engagement therewith, while the strike is in engagement therewith, and while the strike is being withdrawn causes a greater force acting to hold the catch in assembled relation with the cabinet wall.

In the form of the cabinet shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the catch is made of a strip of resilient metal of uniform width bent into the form of a U having arms 20 and an intermediate rounded connecting portion 2|. Each arm 20 is slit longitudinally along lines parallel to the side edges of the arms as at ZI, which slits extend approximately to the point where the arms 20 unite with the intermediate portion 2|. Each arm 20 also has a transverse slit 22 extending from one longitudinal slit 2Ia to the other at the front end of the arm. The slits thus dene a portion 23 adapted to be bent in such form as to cooperate with the portion 23 from the other arm to provide a pair of strike receiving jaws located between the arms of the U and resiliently connected by the intermediate portion 2I of the U. Thus each jaw 23 is bent generally inwardly at an angle to the arm from which it is formed and adjacent its front end is provided with a relatively sharp inward depression 24 and an outwardly flaring lip 25. An aperture 26 is punched in the wall I2 to permit the strike I4 to pass therethrough and into engagement with the jaws 23.

Each arm 20 is constructed at its free end for attachment to the wall I2. In the form shown in Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive, each arm is provided with a pair of notches 33 cut transversely into the respective side edges of the arm a short distance back from the front edge thereof, and the portion in front of the notches is bent at an angle to the arm and toward the opposite arm, as illustrated at 3l. The wall I2 is provided with a pair of punchings to receive the ends of the arm in retaining relation. As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4,

each punching or aperture comprises a portion 32 of a width equal to the width of the arms 20,

. and a narrower portion 33 on the outside thereof equal in width to the distance between the notches 30. The spacing between these two punchings is somewhat less than the normal unsprung spacing between the two arms 20.

To attach the catch to the Wall I2, the two arms 2D are pressed together slightly so that the portions 3I may be inserted through the wider portions 32 of the apertures in the wall. When the notches 3S are in line with the wall, the arms are then allowed to spring outwardly so that that part of each arm which lies between the notches 30 springs into the narrower portion 33 of the aperture. Thus the catch is securely retained in place since there are shouldered portions on each arm abutting the opposite faces of the wall I2, such shouldered portions being the sides of the notches 30. The bent end 3| thereupon assumes a position overlying the larger portion 32 of the aperture, as shown in Fig. 3, to

substantially hide it from view at the front face i of the wall.

Since the normal unsprung spacing `between the arms 20 is slightly greater than the spacing between the apertures in the wall, the catch will be resiliently held in the foregoing relation with the wall and thus be securely attached thereto. Such attachment, it will be noted, may be made without the use of any tools. The punchings of course may be placed in the wall l2 at the time of the manufacture of the cabinet and at the time of shaping the wall I2. When the strike is being inserted or withdrawn from between the jaws 23 and when it is retained thereby, the jaws are sprung apart to a greater distance than what is normal when the strike out cf engagement therewith. Such spreading of the jaws tends to flatten the intermediate portion 2i of the catch, and such flattening in turn tends to spread the arms 2f) farther apart. However, the attachment of the arms 20 to the wall I2 prevents such spreading but a greater force is'thereby produced in the arms 2i! to retain the catch firmly in place.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the catch is made of the same U shape and the strike receiving jaws are made in the saine way as in the form shown in the other figures. However, the ends of the arms of the U in this form are differently shaped. As illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, each arm 20 is provided at its end with a centrally located tongue 40 which is substantially narrower than the width of the arm and is bent outwardly at a rightI angle to the arm. The aperture in the Wall I2 in this instance is rectangular, as illustrated at EI in Fig. 7, and is provided not only for attachment of the arms of the catch but also to permit passage of the strike through the wall. The aperture 4I is of the same width as the tongues 40. To attach the catch to the wall the two arms 20 are pressed toward each other until the tongues 40 may be passed through the aperture 4I. The two arms 20 are then released so that the tongues 4I! spring into overlapping relation with the front face of the Wall I2 at the ends of the aperture 4I. The tongues 40 thus prevent movement of the -catch rearwardly from the wall I2 while shoulders, here indicated at 42, resulting from the formation of the tongues 40, abut the inner face of the wall I2. Thus the catch shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 'I is held in place by its own resiliency and spreading of the jaws causes the catch to be more firmly held in place in the same manner as in the other form.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a novel one-piece catch comprising a strike retaining portion and a portion for securing the catch to the cabinet. rThe catch is held in its attached relation to the cabinet by its own resiliency, and is more forcefully held in such relation at such times as when the strike is in engagement therewith to spread the jaws.

I claim as my invention:

l. A catch of the character described adapted to be mounted on an aperture wall of a cabinet, said catch comprising a pair of strike receiving and retaining jaws resiliently resisting spreading thereof by the strike, and a pair of retaining portions shaped to interfit with said wall and resiliently resisting movement toward each other to hold the catch secured to said wall, said jaws and said retaining portions being interconnected whereby spreading of the jaws bythe strike more firmly holds said retaining portions in interfitting relation with said wall.

2. A catch of the character described adapted to be secured to a cabinet walLsaid catch comprising resilient strike receiving and retaining means and resilient means for securing the catch to the wall, said means being interconnected in such manner that an increase in the tension of the inst-mentioned means by the strike increasesV the tension of the second-mentionedmeans for holding the catch in place.

3. A catch of the character described adaptedto be secured to a cabinet wall, said catch comprising a pair of strike receiving and retaining jaws and a pair of arms for securing the catch to the wall, said jaws and said arms having a common resilient connection adapted to flex'upon entrance of the strike between the jaws, such flexing thereby resiliently holding the arms more firmly in securing relation to the wall.

EARL BORCHERS. I)

CERTIFCATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,5).L2,851. February 29, 19ML.

EARL BORCHERS.

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in the above numbered patent was erroneously describedand specified as American Cabinet Hardware i Corporation" whereas said name should have been described and specified as --American Cabinet Hardware Corporation, Rockford, Illinois, of'Rookford, Illinois, a corporation of Illinois", as shown by the record of' assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent office. l

Signed and sealed this 6th day of' June, A. D. 19ML.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting; Commissioner of Patents. 

